Interior Design

I was excited to recently discover my favourite US Designers, Blackband Design were nominated for HGTV Fresh Faces of Design 2015 in the Master Bedroom category for this Bayshore project. There is not a doubt in my mind that Wendy and Greg Blackband's beach style interiors have panache that sets them apart. Wendy has an eclectic take on coastal elegance and her eye for colour, pattern and texture make a room sing. Keeping the colour palette light in tones of blue and white for this coastal master retreat, Wendy and Greg focused on texture and pattern to create a coastal feel.  The carved, white-washed bedside tables make a simple statement complimenting the oak flooring and adding texture with sculptural detail. Rattan and woven jute blinds are widely used in the US by designers especially in coastal homes. Here, Wendy has softened their look with a simple blue and white patterned drape on the larger windows. Blackband always use plenty of cushions to soften and pull a room togeth...

1. Pomegranate Christmas cake  I have been running late this week and missed Tuesday's mix so I wanted to make up for it by finding some fun Christmas ideas. I don't think that we have to stick by tradition all the time so I have been looking out for ideas that might be a little different, starting with this Pomegranate Christmas cake from  Natashas Kitchen , hop over for the recipe. More recipes and Christmas inspiration after the jump...   2. Pretty Meringue Christmas Trees from Mon Petit Bistro (page can be translated). You could use silver balls or even green and red for a more traditional look 3. I thought these Salted Chocolate, Raspberry and Pistachio Pots de Creme would make lovely Christmas deserts - Recipe over at Hummingbird High 4. Spotted on Pinterest , a cute idea for a coastal style home using pieces of driftwood and starfish  5. Make some DIY ornaments, instructions at   Pizzazzerie.com  and you don't need great writing skills as the names ...

I have no idea what happened with yesterday's post, it was about my new beach house but for some odd reason it is not showing on blogger as my last post..odd! I do hope everyone received an email update about it and that you will join me on the journey of the progress of the house. Today however, I wanted to share the home of a couple who relocated from Brooklyn to a beautiful waterfront home. Chango & Co were given the freedom to create the perfect home for this family. Chango said they used "rich finishes, lush furnishings, a heaping spoonful of personality and a lot of love to create an interior design plan that exemplified the beauty they saw in the home owner's and allowed them to finally feel at home". There is a simplicity and order to this home that immediately attracted me, not to mention the palette of blue, white and taupe which works wonderfully in a coastal home. These colours when combined with natural wood and rustic touches, help to create the rel...

Above: Christmas styling inspiration Decordots I don' t really like to say this but Christmas is only 6 weeks away, every year I say "I will be more prepared for Christmas" but it's usually a last minute rush. This year however, I want to be more organised and have everything sorted at least 2 weeks prior. Christmas is most definitely a day where we share our home with family and friends, it is the gathering of people we love so dearly that make this day special but I do know that putting a little extra effort into the day can make it even more memorable.  Not everyone has a grand staircase to decorate with trails of ivy, however, even the smallest of homes can look gorgeous.   Creating a vignette on a tray that could be displayed on a coffee table, console or a kitchen island is a fabulous idea for a smaller home or a specific area of your home.  Selecting the right tray and items for your Christmas vignette will be much easier if you decide on a theme such as;  v...

Above: Exterior shingles add texture and interest to this fireplace wall A newly built home can still have character and flair and this Florida home has plenty of both in it's architecture and relaxed, beach style interior. Custom built with the sea on the doorstep, Interior Designer, Debbie Perez of 'Tweak Your Space' , has created a relaxed interior reflecting the owner's love of the coast in this beach side home. Debbie says she has blended elements from New England and Florida beach homes to create the look. Plenty of texture can be seen with the use of natural materials such as stone, shingles, wood, linen and sisal, all these elements help create a coastal feel.  As you can see, Debbie has had fun with the children's bedrooms keeping the nautical theme in the owner's son's room and a more feminine, pretty in pink theme in their little girl's room. Above: New, but traditional in its architecture Above: What Florida home wouldn't be without a cei...